Parental dental tips

Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars that grow from your mid-teens to mid-twenties although not everybody will grow wisdom teeth. If your wisdom teeth do grow there are complications that can arise during and after its growth and require their removal, they include the following:

Pain

When your wisdom teeth are growing you are likely to feel pain and the gums can swell. Sometimes the pain goes away after a short time or it persists. In both cases it is good to see a dentist because pain can be caused by any of the following;

• The tooth is not growing properly: The tooth can be growing towards other teeth.This causes pressure to other teeth and they could become misaligned. You are very likely to feel a lot of pain if this is the case. If left unattended this can lead to . . 

• Swollen gums: These are painful and there is the added possibility that as the gum swells it might leave pockets where bacteria can accumulate.This can result in dental cavities and tooth decay.

• Infections: As the teeth and tissue are subjected to pressure,gums can become soft so that they can be ruptured easily even by hard food substances.This can allow infections to enter your body.

• Cysts: You can suffer from sinus infections or cysts could form and if left unattended, your jaw can end up being eroded. These are quite rare.

Partially exposed wisdom tooth

Your tooth can grow well but when it comes to being exposed, part of it remains covered by a flap of soft tissue. While there is no pain you feel, there is the obvious possibility that food deposits will be lodged between the flap and the tooth. These food deposits will cause plaque to form which could result in painful gums when some toxins released by the plague react with the gum and it can end up swelling. This can lead to other problems like infection.

Other reasons for wisdom teeth removal

Apart from these problems to do with the growth of wisdom teeth, their location in the mouth poses a challenge when you are cleaning your teeth. It is almost impossible to floss or brush your wisdom teeth to the required level of cleanliness. Due to this challenge, wisdom teeth are more susceptible to cavities and tooth decay than other teeth. These two problems can lead to infections if left unchecked. A bad odor coming from the back of your mouth is a sure sign that your wisdom teeth could be decaying. If you suspect a there is a problem with your wisdom tooth, visit your dentist who will examine your teeth and do an x-ray to determine whether you need your wisdom tooth removed.